It's the first time the Secondary Schools Auctioneering Championship has had students from a New Zealand high school competing in the competition.

WILLIAMS MEDIA caught up with Vincent Doran after his win to find out how he prepared for the competition, how he became interested in auctioneering, and what's next for him.

Congratulations on your win Vincent! How did you first become interested in auctioneering?

I was first exposed to autioneering when my careers councillor, Rob Portsch, pushed me to do Lindsay Warner's Schools Auction Championships in 2017.

I was hesitant at first, but once I had gone through some basic training and grasped an understanding of the art of auction, I became passionate about it.

I really enjoy being on stage and having the pressure on me to not mess up. It also forces me to be spontaneous and quick witted. I love just blurting out a random comment or quip that comes to mind in the moment.

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After the competition in 2017, I competed again in 2018. Both years I was a finalist. This year, I also competed in the Harcourts Novice Auction competition as well, and of course the REISA comp.

Every time I compete, my call slightly improves and I learn something new.

How did you prepare for the competition?

I was training once a week with (mentor and auctioneer) AJ Colman, and in the final week we did three sessions together.

I trained at least once a week, usually more with Simon Jones, one of the senior competitors, who is also my boss at Harcourts Plus Seaton. I am doing a two day a week traineeship alongside him.

I also did some training with Brett Roennfeldt (fellow auctioneer) leading up to the REISA competition earlier this year. By myself, I practiced my script daily in the week leading up to the competition to get it down pat. 

What was the highlight of the event for you?

The highlight of the event for me was getting to watch all of the seniors perform, both in the heats and seniors. The level they perform at is unreal and I strive to be that good one day.

I take notes and observe how they do their calls to implement some of those things into mine to improve it. 

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Do you hope to pursue a career as an auctioneer?

I do hope to pursue a career in real estate as an auctioneer, probably as an agent or auctioneer, but who knows yet.

As I mentioned, I am doing a traineeship which has taught me a lot about the industry. Hopefully I can find my feet next year and start my career!

What would be your advice to those looking to enter the competition next year?

My biggest tip would be to just have fun with it. If you're enjoying yourself, it reflects onto the crowd and engages them, which is a big part of an auction, and has a lot of weight in terms of the scoring. 

Related reading:

New Zealand's Andrew North is Australasian Auctioneer of 2018

Get to know the winner of 2018 Australasian Auctioneering Championships, Andrew North

Finalists to battle it out for Australasian Auctioneering Crown